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Tuesday, September 01, 2009

After the incredible success of Tour de France Online, a game that gathered over 100,000 players during the Tour de France 2009, Focus Home Interactive is pleased to announce the today's launch of the second grand online cycling competition of this season: La Vuelta Online!

Designed by Cyanide studio, known for the successful Pro Cycling Manager series and Tour de France Online, La Vuelta Online is a Web browser-based game specifically focusing on cycling simulation. Based on one of the most renowned cycling competitions in the world, La Vuelta Online is now getting ready to welcome cycling fans from all around the world.

A unique game experience awaits players in La Vuelta Online. In the game, players can create their own cycling team, train it, equip it and lead it through one of the most prestigious cycling competition: the Tour of Spain, La Vuelta. The game follows the official stages of La Vuelta 2009's route and is accessible to all types of players, novice and cycling enthusiasts. Players will have to set up their race tactics and do their best to manage the behavior of their riders if they want to win this epic competition and claim the numerous PC video games offered to the winners!

Mediatonic, the social gaming specialist, has lifted the curtain on its recent work with FIVE’s The Gadget Show. Working closely with presenter Suzi Perry, Mediatonic have constructed a professional mini-game to go up against a ‘bedroom’ coded application from co-presenter Jason Bradbury.

Designed to highlight the benefits of working on the iPhone platform and the meritocratic hierarchy of the App Store, both applications are set to battle it out for popularity to determine if home-made software can compete with professional projects on the iPhone platform.

Suzi’s game – Biker Blast – developed in co-operation with Mediatonic, harks back to motorcycle stunt games of old, setting players the task of performing ramp jumps over lines of cars with in-game controls making use of the iPhone’s touch screen and accelerometer. A virtual Suzi Perry provides player feedback and scoring information. Jason’s application takes a different track. The Social Beacon is a social networking tool, which allows users to send quick status updates to Facebook and Twitter without the need to type.

Both applications are now available from the App Store and both are free to download. The results of the contest are set to be broadcast in October 2009.

Paul Croft, creative director, Mediatonic comments: “This was a hugely entertaining project to work on. We’ve drawn on our professional skills in designing and creating concise, playable game experiences to produce the best game we could within the parameters and timeframes we had to work with. May the best app win!”

The best turn based strategy for mobile phones is coming back!Revival 2 is a huge scale strategy game that is on a par with its PC ancestors in its breadth of opportunities.

Revival 2 keeps all the best features of the genre such as mining resources, building of towns and development of science, land and sea battles, experience and upgrades.

Moreover it makes a tremendous step forward offering users more than TWO THOUSAND game maps! Also an important innovation is the possibility of playing together using one device. A good complement to this is the revamped political system and a large number of diplomatic tools of influence. High-quality modern graphics will allow you to examine in detail dozens of diverse landscapes, types of units and buildings. Carefully considered user interface, simple controls, advanced artificial intelligence and new game mechanics make your galaxy conquest interesting and comfortable.Revival 2 – the universe is waiting for a new master!

Game features:

• Designed in the tradition of Sid Meier’s “Civilization”• Opportunity to play together on a single phone.• Tremendous game spaces – over 2000 planets which can be conquered• Strategic map of the universe.• Adjustable difficulty level.• Diplomacy - as a useful game-tool, politics - as an important part of game-play.• 25 buildings and 25 types of military units.• Plot campaign.• Opportunity to play against up to 6 rivals.• All the features of turn-based strategy are included: mining resources, building of towns and development of science, land and sea battles, experience and upgrades.• Isometric graphics and atmospheric music

Latest Installment in Pocket Fighting Series Delves Further Into NARUTO Shippuden Storyline Than Any Other Title

TOMY announce that the next installment in the popular Ninja Destiny series, NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2, has gone gold and will be available at retail outlets nationwide on September 15, 2009 for Nintendo DS. NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 is the latest installment to the popular 3D pocket fighting series, Ninja Destiny.

Exclusive for Nintendo DS, NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 features more new Shippuden content than any other NARUTO video game in 2009. With 34 playable characters, this year’s roster has seen a completely new upgrade, including all-new attacks and character specific cinematic jutsu moves. The game also introduces Quest Mode, allowing players to take on the role of their favorite ninja and travel through tough mazes to battle and defeat opponents to improve character performance and level up. Ninja Destiny 2 also boasts a revamped Story Mode and wireless multi player battles, enabling players to battle in head-to head matches with Naruto and his friends.

“Ninja Destiny 2 is a great-looking, highly competitive 3D fighting game on Nintendo DS that combines a ton of exciting new Shippuden content with solid fighting game mechanics.” said Laura Yoshioka, director of consumer software at TOMY Corporation. “The game offers a quality fighting game experience on-the-go and is a title that both fans of the series and those unfamiliar with the franchise will enjoy.”

NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 is rated “T” for Teen with Cartoon Violence and will be available September 15, 2009 for Nintendo DS for $29.99 SRP.

SouthPeak Games announced today that its massive sci-fi shooter, Section 8, for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, has shipped to all North American retailers, with the Games for Windows LIVE version available this Friday. Section 8 casts players as futuristic, armor-clad soldiers who perform meteoric dives onto the battlefield, where they battle with up to 40 players on Windows PC or 32 on Xbox 360 for control of the immense cosmic landscapes.

Developed by TimeGate Studios, Section 8 opens up the tactical possibilities of team-based shooters by placing players in vast, open battlefields, and giving them the ability to Burn-In anywhere they choose from 15,000 feet above the map. In addition, every player in the game is equipped with a jetpack and an overdrive sprint ability, which they can use to quickly get to any objective and attack from any angle.

“Under a familiar veneer of power armor and guns, TimeGate has carved out its own niche by designing something special," said Richard Iggo, VP of Marketing at SouthPeak. "Players will get schooled if they go into this expecting the same old multiplayer combat. Spraying and praying will result in a pretty quick death and fans of a certain Spartan won’t last long unless they can adjust to truly tactical combat. They have to think; using tactics beyond simple run-and-gun such as selecting loadouts and deployables and how to coordinate their squad for maximum lethality. It’s the game that TimeGate, as massive fans of the multiplayer FPS genre, wanted to make and they’ve succeeded in delivering a gamer’s game; a benchmark of gameplay excellence.”

Section 8 allows players to join the epic conflict between the 8th Armored Infantry – nicknamed ‘Section 8’ - and the Arm of Orion by taking part in fierce combat across majestic alien worlds. Players create their own unique game experiences by customizing equipment Loadouts, and dramatically impact the flow of battle through strategic vehicle and asset requisitions. Dynamic Combat Missions (DCMs) are player-driven objectives, generated during the course of combat, that affect gameplay with tangible rewards for completion. In addition to the deep single-player campaign and multiplayer mode for up to 40 combatants, Section 8 features an Instant Action mode where players can challenge the game’s competitive AI on any of the multiplayer maps. For the competitive gamer, Section 8 will implement an online stats portal on Friday, September 11, which boasts a phenomenal in-depth stat-tracking system, showing clan and individual rankings on over 50 unique fully-searchable Leaderboards.

Section 8 is the first Xbox 360 title to allow players to host their own dedicated servers using a Windows-based PC. These “X Servers” will support up to 32 players for Xbox 360. Windows PC users can play on dedicated servers with up to 40 players. When dedicated servers are not used, Section 8 supports up to 16 players on Windows PC and Xbox 360. More information about the X Server software is available on the official Section 8 website.

Section 8 is available now in North America on Xbox 360 for the suggested retail price of $59.99 and will be available this Friday, September 4, on Games for Windows LIVE for $49.99 and is rated T for Teen. Section 8 will be available on September 11 in the UK and Asia Pacific, and September 18 in the rest of Europe.

For more information on the game, X Server, player stats, and to join the community, visit the official site at www.joinsection8.com.

True Games Interactive, an international multi-player online game publisher, in conjunction with renowned game developer, Petroglyph, today announced details and new images of the three unique character classes in its upcoming new online multiplayer action-strategy game, Mytheon. See below for the full details of each of the three character classes that include the Warcaster, Elementalist and Eidolon. For more information about Mytheon visit www.Mytheongame.com.

WARCASTER: Foolish are those who face the battalion of the Warcaster: commander of minions and soldiers. The Warcaster's vigilant devotion to the Companion Stones has designated him with the utmost Power over those who possess mere knowledge. When these stones are in the hands of the Warcaster, kindred strength does not lie in numbers.Under his constraint, the Companion Stones conspire together, bestowing vital enhancements to stats and abilities. The Warcaster's ability is often put to the test when allied with or faced against an Elementalist, whose area effect spells can cause massacre with a single burst.

Should there be one fortunate enough to weaken the Warcaster, he must then usher cross-class healing stones or potions to maintain long-term survival. With creatures bowing to his every bid, the gods will soon face a worthy challenger.

ELEMENTALIST: Torn between their obedience to the High Priestess Pythia, who presides over the Oracle of Apollo, and their obligation to the peril of mankind, the Elementalists made the fateful decision to abandon their posts in the Temple at Delphi to aid humanity's fight against the gods. A natural prudence to the preservation of the world has blessed the Elementalists with powers to wield the building blocks of nature.The Elementalists bear the ability to shatter grounds, steer lightning, combust flames, and stir calm waters. Subtle strikers from afar, the Elementalists benefit from combining the elemental Spells that they command. Relying on Mytheon energy, they face the decision (perhaps 'challenge' instead of decision) to strike precisely or not to strike at all. Elementalists prefer to fight their own battles instead of relying on companions to guard them. They utilize the elemental tools such as the lightning rod for added attack and defense power. Enemies should not know an Elementalist is in battle.until they notice a flash flood headed directly towards them a split second before their demise.

EIDOLON: Egyptian scholars strive to discover alignment between the earth and the heavens by finding correlations between the ordinary and the extraordinary. How ordinary men created such extraordinary pyramids, we shall never know. Perhaps this battle for mankind implored the souls of the Eidolons, whom Amon Ra had created to spy on Greece.

The Eidolons possess the capacity to gain enhancements and abilities by utilizing the power of all stone types. After learning of their power, they agreed to help the Greeks fight their gods so that they could return with their stones and help the people of Egypt. They spend sleepless nights studying their stones in order to have the perfect combination to cause destruction upon foes while rejuvenating injured allies. The Eidolons can master the ordinary powers of the stones easily.but releasing potentially extraordinary power is the ultimate challenge.

Frogster announce that as part of the current content update ‘Naga’s Awakening’, players will get to meet the namesake of Runes of Magic’s first chapter, the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord haunts a nightmare version of the city of Varanas in a new open combat feature, ‘Varanas Nightmare’, in what the company calls a ‘Public Encounter’. Public encounters are instances where players do not need to be part of a party or guild to enter, however the content is difficult and grouping is recommended.

The high level scenario is made up of three phases in and around the ‘Varanas Nightmare’, which has afflicted the minds of the city’s inhabitants. Up to 150 players can simultaneously combat the terrible dream and fight to stop the Demon Lord. The first targets for player groups are dimensional portals which are spread around the burned out city. Twenty portals need to be closed before the task is completed and phase two begins. This is where players have to overcome three world bosses in succession. Should the adventurers achieve victory within three minutes, the third and final phase begins. If the players fail, then the scenario begins again from the first phase.

Well coordinated raids are required to defeat the third opponent since this character is actively supported by the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord doesn’t actually engage in combat himself, but he does heal his vassals making the challenge difficult and victory very satisfying. Killing his minions doesn’t only bestow reputation and honor on the hero for mastering the scenario, but as the toughest challenge in Runes of Magic to date, there is also an outstanding loot for the victors.Runes of Magic – A world full of magic and adventure

Runes of Magic has redefined the standard for free-to-play MMORPGs in terms of gameplay, fun and quality. The online role play game carries an exciting, multi-layered story, driven by more than 2,000 quests set in the atmospheric fantasy world of Taborea. To date, Runes of Magic has attracted more than 1.6 million registered users, making it one of the most successful titles in the free-to-play segment, and a must play game for all fans of MMOs and RPGs.

Runes of Magic features a unique dual class system enabling players to combine one of eight primary classes with a secondary class. The result is a deep player experience that expands upon the game’s deep customization offering. There are two different playable races, Elves and Humans, from which players can choose. Each dual class combination produces its own powerful elite skills. Another popular feature is the opportunity to furnish your own completely individual virtual home, and guilds can construct guild castles, which can be expanded with additional buildings. Thanks to comprehensive crafting and reputation systems, gripping PvP features, deep customization and demanding dungeons, Runes of Magic has something for everyone.

Taiwanese developer Runewaker regularly expands the game world with new free content and challenges.Runes of Magic Features- Dual class system with eight classes and unique elite skills- Individual furnishing of player housing and guild castles- In-depth story experienced through above 2,000 quests laced with epic quest-lines- Gripping Player-versus-Player duels in arenas and on the battlefield- Easy travel using portal stones and a wide range of rideable animals- Challenging boss-combat in dangerous and extensive dungeons with up to 36 simultaneous players- Entertaining mini-games offering variety to the hero’s routine- Dynamic crafting and customization of items- Regular comprehensive free updates with new game content- Free-to-Play: No monthly subscriptions, free to download the game

Redbana launched Season 2, the first expansion set for the dance-themed online rhythm game, Audition. More than just a patch update Season 2 incorporates new enhancements, including graphical and user interface upgrades, 21 songs from acclaimed artists, over 100 in-game items, dance moves, gameplay modes, and much more. Audition Season 2 is now available to download free at: audition.redbana.com.

"Season 2 adds an enormous amount of new content to Audition, and the expansion is sure to keep even the most experienced fans intrigued for some time," said Eric Liu, Global Manager of Redbana. "Our priority for Audition is to provide compelling new content to fans on an ongoing basis, and Season 2 sets the stage for many more updates to come."

Among the vast amount of new content added to Audition, Season 2 includes:- 21 Songs from Popular Artists Including, Lady Gaga, Sean Kingston, and Cascada- More than 100 Avatar Items and 10 FAM Shop Items- Beat Rush and Tournament Channel Gameplay Modes- A Real-Time Emote Motion System- All New Dance Moves

Season 2’s Beat Rush gameplay mode presents players with a spinning beat ball that follows a circular path, hitting keynotes to correspond with the beat of the music, and as players tap the keys they fill the Beat Rush gauge, which, when full, allows them to earn maximum points. The real-time emote motion system allows players to deploy unique dance-themed emotes in-game, enabling creative and dynamic communication between friends and competitors.

Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., is pleased to announce that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Leeds, the winners of the 2009 Develop Award for Best Handheld Game Studio, will be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch this fall.

"Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple's new gaming platforms."

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Max Gaming is finally taking a moment from jumping around in excitement to pause and write a press release for Jounce. Less than a week after its initial release, Apple featured Jounce in the New and Noteworthy section of the App Store, and we’ve not been able to sit still since.

With over 32000 levels, Jounce can keep you busy for ages just flipping through level numbers. We realize though, watching numbers change can only be entertaining for so long, that’s why we included a large dose of Gameplay with every copy of Jounce. Yes, in a day and age where Shiny sells, we’ve decided to break the mold, and tried revitalizing a concept some have thought lost in the mists of time.

The goal is simple, balls fall from above, and you bounce them to their target below. But unlike many puzzle games, there is no “perfect” score possible. If you finish a level with just one move, congrats, you’ve made one of the lowest scores possible. Balls are worth one point for every bounce they make before reaching the goal, so yea, you can play things nice and calm, use just a few bouncers to direct the balls, and enjoy the soothing rhythm of Jounce. The sign of the true Jounce Master though, is an iPhone/Pod that sounds like a hyperactive monkey wearing hundreds of bells!

Jounce is available on the iTunes AppStore now, for just 99 cents currently, so stop reading press releases, and go buy Jounce! And keep an eye out for the next update of jounce, which will add Theme Customization, improved performance, and OpenFeint support!

Can't wait until PAX to get your Penny Arcade fix? Then this offer is for you! Beginning today, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two is Xbox LIVE Arcade's Deal of the Week. Now through Sept. 6, Xbox LIVE Gold members can experience the second installment of the award-winning episodic series for only 800 Microsoft points, a 33% discount on the regular price.

The madcap Penny Arcade experience continues in Episode Two of the RPG-adventure game series! Players can jump right in with a fresh character and new customization options or carry over their look and stats from Episode One. Plus, there are more puzzles, areas to explore, levels to gain and new difficulty settings to make the journey more insane than ever before. Rejoin Gabe and Tycho to go crazy with a whole new episode, moving ever closer to solving the mystery in the heart of New Arcadia.

"We're pleased to partner with Microsoft to offer gamers this week-long discount," said Hothead Games' director of marketing, Jody McLain. "It's fitting that fans have a chance to whet their appetites a little prior to the show."

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two is rated "M" for Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for all platforms.

Since the launch of NCAA Football 10 on July 14th, hundreds of thousands of college football fans have experienced the excitement of the all-new Season Showdown competition. The Season Showdown pre-season is now over and based on credits users have accumulated for their school of choice, the following institutions are in the top ten heading into the Season Showdown regular season:

With the start of the Season Showdown regular season, there are now five categories in which users can earn credits. The winning school for each week is determined by a best of five format, so in addition to playing games on the console, it is imperative that users go online to play the web based games through the Facebook application http://seasonshowdown.easports.com.

* NEW! ONLINE VS. SHOWDOWN OPPONENT

Beginning today and throughout the regular season, in order to earn additional credits, Season Showdown participants will need to defeat their weekly Showdown opponent on Xbox 360 or PS3, which is determined by their school’s real world opponent for that week. For week No1, the game of the week is Miami vs. Florida State, as this matchup pits two top 10 Season Showdown teams against one another.

* NEW! WEB BASED GAME! ALLIES & RIVALS

[Play online through Facebook http://apps.facebook.com/seasonshowdown or at http://seasonshowdown.easports.com]With the start of the regular Season Showdown season, the “Allies & Rivals” component is now live, as well. This online poll allows users five votes to put towards any five schools of their choice, with no school receiving more than one vote. By looking at who their rivals are playing each week, users could put votes towards their opponents’ team in hopes of keeping their rivals from winning that category.

* WEB BASED GAME! NCAA TRIVIA CHALLENGEAs the other web based feature, users can answer trivia questions that will be totaled and credited towards their school’s overall points.

* VS. CPU

Users can gain credits by playing on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 against any school offline.

* ONLINE VS. NATION

Users can gain credits by playing on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 against anyone online in the nation.

At the end of the regular season, based on credits accumulated, the top 32 Season Showdown schools will compete in a single elimination tournament to decide the ultimate Season Showdown champion.

A new single-player level for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available now for Xbox 360 owners through Xbox LIVE Marketplace and for PlayStation 3 owners through the PlayStation Network. The level features The “Secret Apprentice” in a mission that continues the story of The Force Unleashed taking the Star Wars Saga in an entirely new and unexpected direction.

The mission begins at the end of the story of The Force Unleashed and re-imagines the Saga as if the Secret Apprentice had killed Darth Vader and taken his place at the Emperor’s side, becoming the most powerful Sith Lord in the universe. The story picks up as the Emperor sends his new apprentice to the planet Tatooine to dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi - who has been hiding on the planet ever since the events of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. During their hunt for the reclusive Jedi, players will also explore the depths of Jabba the Hutt’s palace and encounter notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force and casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice,” unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy seen through the eyes of a mysterious new character armed with unprecedented powers. Originally released in September 2008, the game quickly became the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever, and has since sold six million units worldwide.

Release Date Set for Early September 2009: In the aftermath of a devastating global conflict to control revolutionary Thorium fuel cell technology, the existence of mankind is faced with a new threat. The Thorions, a technically advanced super species of Thorium powered machines once developed to wage war for mankind, have now turned against them.

To stop the Thorions from destroying mankind altogether, you must develop the right tactics to drive them from their conquered land. Take control of the outcome as Thorium Wars proves to be the ultimate test for the survival of the fittest. Exciting features include:

Futuristic Vehicle Shooter: Blast through waves of Thorions using five powerful vehicles across twelve exciting missions.

Exotic Battlefields: Navigate your way through a wide variety of combat environments including deserts, lush valleys, oceans, air, and space.

Devastating Enemy Mechs: Face the terrifying army of Thorium beasts ranging from swarms of Redeye Drones to the bone crushing Manticore Walker.

The UNITY 3D game engine delivers a unique set of features for MMO design, allowing for play in huge, zone less worlds with thousands of simultaneous players interacting in a variety of environments. The foundation of the engine includes advanced physics, component-based damage and military-grade ballistics.

UNITY 3D has been utilized to produce a one-of-a-kind massively multiplayer experience in WWII ONLINE: BATTLEGROUND EUROPE, a combined-arms action/simulation game. It allows players to fight on the ground as infantry, command and crew vehicles such as tanks, fighters and bombers entirely in first-person featuring British, French and German forces.

Version 1.5 of the UNITY 3D game engine adds several key features including;

• New object instancing for improved efficiency in loading and display of huge game world and object libraries• Shader 3.0 support for upgraded performance and effects• Upgraded Normal and Specular Mapping for enhanced object visuals• SpeedTree 4.2 Support• ODE physics support for rag-doll style character animations• Added support for OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL)

The UNITY 3D game engine powers the latest major upgrade to the massively multiplayer online game, WWII ONLINE: BATTLEGROUND EUROPE. Version 1.31, currently in Beta testing, will include updated graphics, effects, terrain objects and game play. Screenshots available at www.battlegroundeurope.com/131media .

• 1,000,000+ trees updated with new models, textures, normals and shadows• Rag doll physics applied to infantry animations• Many new special effects including muzzle flashes, hit effects and explosions• Tree and object shadows• Real-time water reflections• New clutter system and objects adding thousands of grass fields and bushes• New radial clutter system• Dynamic Weather with new clouds/rain/sky/fog/lighting settings• Thousands of new and updated terrain objects such as buildings, installations and cultural objects

Harmonix and MTV Games, announce the launch of “Rock Band Bar Nights,” a ground-breaking initiative providing tools for U.S. bar owners to host their own Rock Band Nights. The program gives bars a cutting-edge in-bar entertainment option to help increase foot traffic and provide Rock Band fans with the opportunity to take the stage for a true rock star experience.

Rock Band - featuring a full band performance with guitar, bass, drums and mic – is revolutionizing the standard karaoke night in bars. The Rock Band Bar Nights program expands the Rock Band social experience for current fans and gives new fans the opportunity to try the game in an authentic performance setting with a live crowd cheering them on.

To help venues host and promote their own Rock Band Bar Nights, the program offers support to registered bars with everything from exclusive Rock Band product offerings to multiplatform marketing support. Through an exclusive e-commerce store, the program will also provide bars with a full music solution to easily rock their bar with the extensive Rock Band catalogue featuring more than 800 tracks and growing every week!

To kick off the program, Harmonix and MTV Games are providing bars that sign up before September 8th with an exclusive five-song preview disc from The Beatles: Rock Band, allowing their customers to experience the highly anticipated game before it hits stores on September 9th.

In addition to offering in-bar support for this new entertainment option, the Rock Band Bar Nights program extends online and gives members direct access to the Rock Band community with hundreds of thousands of fans, as well as the chance to stay connected on Rock Band’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. In the coming months, Rock Band fans will be able to find official Rock Band Bar Nights in their area through an online application searchable by zip code and a mobile version available for download as a free iPhone application.

Rockstar Games announce that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Leeds, the winners of the 2009 Develop Award for Best Handheld Game Studio, will be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch this fall.

"Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple's new gaming platforms."

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Walt Disney Co said on Monday it will buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion, striking the biggest media deal of the year.

Here are some key facts about Marvel:

* The company has a library of more than 5,000 characters and has been publishing comic books since 1939.

* Marvel has more than a 40 percent market share in comics, graphic novels and magazine publishing, according to a spokesman.

* Its stable of superheroes include Iron Man, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four and its first blockbuster character, Captain America.

* Spider-Man, whose theatrical rights have been licensed to Sony Pictures, is considered the company's most popular character.

* Many of its characters were created by comic book legends Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

* Marvel enjoyed blockbuster success with "Iron Man," its first self-produced film. Distributed by Viacom's Paramount Pictures and released in 2008, the movie pulled in the second-biggest non-sequel box office opening in history.

* It is currently working on "Iron Man 2," a sequel set for release in 2010.

* Marvel's shares soared in August when it posted a second-quarterly profit that beat market estimates, boosted by DVD and pay TV sales of blockbuster "Iron Man."

* Marvel posted $676 million in revenue in 2008, up 39 percent from $486 million in revenue in 2007.

* The company had $221 million in net profit in 2008, up about 35 percent from $164 million in 2007.

* The company had $938 million in total assets at the end of 2008.

* For 2009, Marvel forecast earnings of $1.25 a share to $1.35 a share, on revenue of $465 million to $485 million.

* The company is headquartered in New York City but has corporate offices in London and Manhattan Beach, California. It has about 300 employees.

* Total market capitalization reached more than $3 billion in 2009.

* Before the deal with Disney, 2009 had been a lull for Marvel as it is not releasing any films of its own this year.

* Upcoming projects include: "Thor" and the first "Avenger" movie, as well as Sony-produced "Spider-Man 4" slated for a 2011 release. The "Avengers" sequel will follow in 2012.

* Marvel's primary competitor is DC Comics, the company behind the "Watchmen" characters. DC Comics is a subsidiary of Warner Bros, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.

* It operates three divisions: licensing, film production through Marvel Studios, Marvel Animation and publishing via Marvel Comics.

Calling all adrenaline junkies! Capcom announced today that its highly anticipated action-adventure game, Dark Void, has received an extra boost of speed thanks to a new pre-order item available exclusively from Gamestop.

Fans who preorder early will receive bona-fide jetpack bling with a downloadable golden jetpack which gives players unlimited boost ability. The new boost upgrade will make you an unstoppable master of the skies – fly faster, avoid enemy fire, run down your foes and own the battlefield – all with unlimited turbo boost and special moves! Check out the new Gold4Jetpack site at www.gold4jetpack.com for more preorder details and see how the gold jetpack will not only change your game but will change your life!

Dark Void’s unique combination of jetpack-booster aerial dog fighting and third-person combat creates a thrilling new gameplay dynamic to the third-person shooter experience. Taking 3D action to a whole new level, Dark Void’s unique vertical combat system allows players to dangle from thousand foot drops as they take cover and hurl enemies to their doom, bringing a whole new sense of tension and thrill to the player. Will is also equipped with a powerful rocket pack which allows for fierce in-air combat, hurtling through the Void at blistering speeds while shooting down anything that gets in his path.

New Star Games are delighted to announce that the full Windows version of Sensational Soccer (worth $9.99) is now free for newsletter subscribers. Just head over to www.newstargames.com to sign up and download your free game. Mac users need not feel left out as the next newsletter will feature a $5 coupon to spend on any New Star game.

Sensational Soccer is a 2D football game inspired by the classics of old such as Kick Off and Sensible Soccer. Playable in 18 languages, you can compete against a friend or in league and cup competitions. Create your own tactics and build your team stats in the training games to become league champions, and on the way complete the challenges to unlock 20 star player portraits in the gallery.